


To Be Continued

by AlmondRose



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Pre-Slash, Secret Identity, Undercover, You Decide, anyway, bruce has issues with compartmentalizing, coffee shop AU, idk - Freeform, there was gonna be fake dating too but that didn't work out so well for me, there's a steph cameo that's like three seconds long, this could be gen or romantic, whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-22 22:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9628358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmondRose/pseuds/AlmondRose
Summary: Sandra Cain just started her new job, and a new employee, Rachel Roth, starts up there as well. In a coffee shop.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JeanOurQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeanOurQueen/gifts).



> remember when Jean said "i love identity porn, cheesy aus, and fake dating?" well, I do, and I tried to combine them all to make an epic birthday fic, but the fake dating was lost along the way, and the identity porn isn't really identity porn, but i tried, and that's what matters here.

“Sandra, this is Rachel,” Greg introduces. Cass nods at the other girl, who has dark hair falling in her eyes and too much eyeliner on. They look like they’re about the same age, maybe. The expression on Rachel’s face doesn’t change. Cass offers her hand. Rachel shakes it loosely. 

 

“You two will be sharing this shift,” Gred says. “Rachel’s new, too, so you two will have to figure out the ropes together.” Cass nods again. She’s been working here for the better part of the week, and she doesn’t think it’ll be much longer. At least she hopes not. Greg leaves them to it and returns to the back room. 

 

“You get the orders, I’ll make the coffee?” Cass offers. Getting the orders is easy enough. 

 

“Sure,” Rachel says in a monotone. She goes to the register and Cass shows her how it works. Rachel doesn’t talk much, just nods and shakes her head. Cass isn’t much of a talker, either. She goes over to the espresso machine and watches her. 

 

Rachel’s body language is odd, like she’s trying to conceal something. Cass isn’t sure what she could be trying to conceal, but whatever it is, she genuinely wants to help. Anything else isn’t really Cass’s business, so she turns to the counter and tries to concentrate on making coffee. 

 

She fills the air with a steady stream of chatter, talking about the weather and her brothers--she only mentions two, although she combines stories from all five, and one from Steph. She doesn’t like talking too much, but she knows that this will draw anyone’s attention from Sandra Cain to Cass Wayne. 

 

Rachel grunts in affirmation and gives her coffee orders; it’s at a down time, so business is slow. Cass doesn’t mind, and she says so. 

 

“So where are you from?” she asks, turning. 

 

“Jump City,” Rachel says. There’s a pause before she asks, “You?” 

 

“Gotham,” Cass says cheerfully, because she knows it’s best to omit some truths and craft some lies, but to still talk about what she knows. “I’m here in Metropolis for college.”

 

“My dad lives here,” Rachel says. “I’m here for the summer.” Cass nods, smiles. Rachel looks uncomfortable. She’s also lying. 

 

Cass doesn’t press, and another customer comes in. She goes back to the espresso machine. 

 

\-----

 

Black Bat climbs out of her apartment and pulls herself onto the roof. The coffee shop is right around the corner, and it only takes her a second to flip over to it, no grapple required. 

 

She lands on the roof silently, and leaps down to the ground. She picks the lock on the window and tucks into a roll inside, landing behind the counter. The lights are on in the main room, and Black Bat creeps closer. 

 

She stays in the shadows and listens to their conversation. 

 

“The transaction should be done within a few days,” Greg says. “We’ll be rolling in dough.”

 

“Don’t speak too hastily,” an unfamiliar man warns. “Rochester still hasn’t upheld his end of the deal.”

 

“He will,” another voice says. “That boy won’t know what hit ‘em.”

 

“You’re still overconfident, Malone,” the second man says. 

 

“I have the most experience here,” Malone says, sounding slightly chiding. “There’s no such thing as overconfidence when you’re me.”

 

Black Bat peeks over the counter and sees three men, standing around one table. She ignores Malone and focuses on Greg and the second man. Both are up to no good and Black Bat thinks that each plan to double-cross the other. She pulls a recording device out of her belt and records, planning to send it out later for analyzation. 

  
  


When they disperse, she flicks off the recorder and melts into the shadows, waiting for them to lock up before returning home. 

  
  


\----

 

“The espresso machine is broken,” Cass says, puzzled. It looks sabotaged, but Cass didn’t do it. 

 

“Oh, no,” Rachel says, not sounding all that affected. “What will we do?” 

 

“Ask...Greg?” Cass tries, even though she doesn’t want to be near Greg for longer than she has to. 

 

“I don’t trust him,” Rachel says after a long moment. “Maybe we can fix it.”

 

“Maybe,” Cass says, unconvinced. Harper and Tim are better at stuff than she is. Her forte falls more along the lines of punching people. 

 

“We still have an hour before the shop opens,” Rachel says. “We can try.”

 

“I suppose,” Cass says. “Are you any good at fixing stuff?”

 

“Maybe,” Rachel says. “Let me look at it.”

 

“I’ll look for the manual,” Cass says, and she opens a cabinet in search of it while Rachel opens up the top of the machine. Cass watches her over the cabinet doors. 

 

Rachel’s whole body language screams that she’s hiding something, that not everything is what it seems. Cass desperately wants to figure out what it is, what she’s hiding, but she’s on a mission here. 

 

Rachel is not her concern, because Cass can definitely tell she isn’t involved in the major drug ring run by Greg, Rochester, and the other man. 

 

Rachel’s eyes flick to Cass, and she buries her head inside the cabinet. 

 

Cass finds the manual, and the two girls pour over the espresso machine together. Cass squints at the words before handing the booklet off to Rachel, who doesn’t act like that’s strange or anything at all. 

 

As it turns out, neither of them are very good with machines. 

 

\----

 

“Want to do something together?” Cass asks, partially for the sake of keeping up the “normal” facade and partially because Rachel is intriguing. 

 

“I--I guess,” Rachel says after a second. And Cass pushes away the mystery of what Rachel’s hiding, and they go to lunch. 

 

And it’s fun. 

 

\----

 

It’s only later that Cass realizes that she hasn’t seen Rachel express any emotions at all. Thinking back, Cass isn’t even sure Rachel had enjoyed herself at all today. 

 

Maybe Cass is being too overbearing. Maybe she should lay off. 

 

She rolls over in her bed and draws the blankets up over her head. 

 

\-----

 

The coffee shop isn’t yet open again, so Black Bat camps out on the roof. She listens to Greg complain about the espresso machine, and call Rochester and the other man. Apparently Rochester’s shipment is coming in late. As is Greg’s, since he has to fix the espresso machine, or buy a new one, since apparently it’s worse than he thought. 

 

Midway through the day, Malone marches in and demands to be allowed to make a shipment from Gotham. Greg tells him no way, because he doesn’t want Red Hood after him, then Malone calls him some unsavory names and says he can handle Hood, thank you very much. 

 

It ends with Greg consenting, and Black Bat follows Malone a little, just to make sure he isn’t compartmentalizing too badly. He turns to meet her eyes, just before he gets in his car, and she nods and returns to the coffee shop. 

 

She sees a dark shadow pass by when she approaches; she stops and watches, confused, but the shadow leaves and Cass isn’t supposed to leave the shop. 

  
  


She sends a message to Bruce, and leaves it at that. 

  
  


\-----

  
  


Greg invites them back to work, and Cass ceases her chatty act, and goes about her day normally. When she turns to face Rachel, the other girl is confused, but not upset, at least as far as Cass can tell. 

 

This goes on for about three days, before Black Bat overhears Greg say that his shipment is finally ready. The other man is bringing his shipment to Metropolis from Central City, and Rochester will be coming in from Starling as soon as his is ready. They have to meet Malone in Gotham. 

 

Black Bat knows they won’t get that far. 

 

\-----

 

“Today’s my last day,” Cass says. She’s not entirely sure why she says it. Rachel looks surprised. 

 

“Really?” Cass nods. “Well...I’ll miss you, I guess.” 

 

“I’ll miss you too,” Cass says. She wishes she had enough time to figure out Rachel’s mystery, or get to know her better. 

  
  


At the end of their shift, Cass offers her hand. “Bye,” she says. 

 

“To be continued,” Rachel corrects, taking her hand, and Cass smiles. 

 

\------

 

Black Bat is hovering over the side of the building. Rochester and the other man and Greg are all gathered behind it. 

 

“Time to go,” Rochester says, and Black Bat--being a Bat--has a thing for dramatic entrances. 

 

She jumps down and melts out of the shadows and punches Greg in the face. The three men are surprised, but get over it. 

 

“Hood must’a sent her!” Rochester says, and all of the men pull out guns. Cass smirks. 

  
  


She can take them down easily, of course, but someone presses something and twenty more men come crawling out, which throws her  _ way  _ off guard. 

 

She’s managing okay, but all of them have guns, and she does a backflip to avoid them, when--

 

“ _ Azarath, meitron, zinthos _ !” 

 

There’s a rush of black light and the goons are knocked off their feet. Black Bat looks up and there’s someone in a purple hood flying above her. 

 

For an absurd second, she thinks it’s Steph, but then she sees the differences in Spoiler’s costume with this person, who looks familiar. A Teen Titan, maybe?

 

Either way, she’s beautiful. 

 

The girl flies down and lands at her back. 

 

“What are you doing here?” she asks, and her voice is familiar, too. 

 

“Taking down drug ring,” Black Bat says, and she punches a guy in the face. 

 

“That’s….what  _ I’m  _ doing,” the other girl says, surprised. She sends her...magic or whatever at Greg. 

 

“Same case?” Black Bat says. 

 

“I suppose,” the girl says. No more words are needed, and they finish the fight rapidly. Almost as if on cue, Matches Malone comes sauntering in. The other girl balls her fists, and Black Bat puts her arm out to stop her. 

 

“I knew I shoulda checked in on them,” he said. “Those imbeciles can’t do nothing. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.” 

 

“Malone,” Black Bat says. She’s not sure how deep he is. She thinks it’s not bad. “Go back to Gotham, or you’ll be like them.”

 

“What are yeh gonna do, arrest me?” he sneers. 

 

“Yes,” Black Bat says. “Go.”

 

“Geez, I get it, I get it. I guess I’ll see you around, Princess,” he says, backing up. Cass narrows her eyes. He turns on his heel and walks away, whistling. 

 

“Why’d you let him get away?” the other girl asks. 

 

“I know him,” she says. “He’s not...he wasn’t involved.”

 

“He sounded involved,” the girl mumbles, and Cass turns to face her. 

 

“I’ll call police,” she says. “Meet me on…..Daily Planet building?”

 

“Okay,” the girl says, and she flies away. Cass sends out three calls, one to the police, the cave, and Dick. Dick can make sure that Bruce doesn’t compartmentalize too deep. Before Black Bat even hears sirens, she’s gone. 

 

She races through rooftops and flips up to the golden planet. The other girl’s hood is down; she has purpley-black hair with red in it. Her bangs are brushed aside and there’s a red gem in her forehead. 

 

“Rachel?” Black Bat gasps.

 

‘What?” Rachel--for that’s who it is--says. “What are you--”

 

“Undercover,” Cass says. “Both of us.” Rachel’s eyes widen.  _ How long had they been purple?  _

 

“Sandra?” she asks. Cass nods. They stare at each other for a minute, neither of them much for words. 

 

“I’m Black Bat,” Cass says, holding out her hand. 

 

“Raven,” Rachel says, shaking her hand. “I know your brother.”

 

“I knew I recognized you,” Black Bat says. Raven nods. Black Bat examines her. She seems a little more relaxed, the whole “lying” thing gone from her general attitude. The other girl is still hiding her emotions, and Black Bat remembers what Red Robin’d said about Raven and emotions. 

 

Black Bat’s comm beeps. 

 

“I think my ride is here,” she says. Raven nods. 

 

“I should be getting back, too,” she says, and Cass doesn’t ask where she’s going. Instead, she extends her hand. 

 

“To be continued?” she asks, lifting an eyebrow under her mask. Raven smiles, a small one, but the first time Cass’d seen her smile. 

 

“To be continued,” she says, taking Cass’s hand. Cass grins and flips off of the roof, extending her grapple at the last second and flying towards Gotham. 

 

The Batmobile races below her, and she drops. 

 

“Hey, stranger,” Batgirl says, closing the roof while Black Bat buckles in. “How’d it go?” Black Bat thinks of Raven’s smile again and says, “Absolutely wonderful.” 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed, and comments/kudos are always welcome!!!


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